Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Studio 16: All-in-One

New Year, new DaVinci ResolveDaVinci Resolve 16 is here, bringing with it a wealth of new features and ways to improve your workflow. Blackmagic’s one-stop-shop attitude to their video editing software is something that seriously speeds up projects, removing the need to hop in and out of different programs to just accomplish a task.

Perpetual License

You bought it, you own it
DaVinci Resolve 16 is a Perpetual License. If you acquire a camera from Blackmagic that has it free or buy from us and receive a package with 14 or 15 on it, you still own 16. All that you need to is download Studio from Blackmagic’s website and input the included dongle (and keep it in!). When a future version launches, you’ll own that too.

Advanced Resellers

More from your friendly neighbourhood Resellers
If you’re a colourist utilising the software to its truest potential, you’ll want to look into Resolve’s Colour Panels, which Scan Pro Video are Advanced Resellers for, so we can provide you with everything all the way up to the Advanced Panels.

Workflow

Everything has its place
Split into multiple pages, DaVinci Resolve features a traditional Edit page, with a non-linear-editing timeline system and a dedicated media page to organise, import and watch back files. Audio is handled with Fairlight, while effects in Fusion. Delivery makes getting your projects out the door incredibly easy, while you'll find the new Cut Page to your liking if you're after something fast.

DeliverExport and save your work to the exact settings you want or need

Cut Page

Fast Edits
In addition to these fully featured pages and features is the new Cut Page, a streamlined version of the Edit page. Made with quick edits in mind, this is perfect for journalists, students, beginners, vloggers and high end studios. Because of its compressed feature set, it’s actually ideal for smaller screens, but everything that is done in the Cut Page, does translate over to the fully fledged video editing page, so you Cut, then Edit with a little more finesse or add effects not available in in the Cut Page by itself.

Source Tape
Source Tape displays all your clips in one long timeline in the Source window, which you can then flow through seamlessly without having to click each clip individually. This reduces work time when you’re on a tight deadline and helps with interviews or gameplay.

Timeline
The Cut Page introduces a unique timeline to fit in with the streamlined workflow. Chunkier and easy to scrub through, it’s far easier to edit on a smaller screen or quick projects with this view!

Control
While the Cut Page might reduce down the workflow by streamlining the core features, but all the transform controls you need are still there. Change audio levels, zooms and crop or add text without having to leave the Cut page at all!

Quick Review
Resolve will fly through your timeline so you can make sure your content is up to scratch, without having to sit through the whole thing in real time.

Take control of the Timeline

Smart InsertLet DaVinci Resolve take control of where the clip needs to go. This is perfect for quick edits, placing the clip in the nearest edit.

Append to EndImmediately add a clip to the very end of the timeline, for building out an edit incredibly quickly.

Ripple OverwriteInstantly replace a clip with another on the timeline, even if it’s a different length. Resolve will adjust the timeline to accommodate it.

Close UpWant to create two shots out of the single one you got originally? Shoot wide, get a sneaky zoom with this function.

Place on TopPlace a source on top of the background in the timeline, without having to drag and drop into place.

Source OverwriteThis is brilliant for those that use sync timecodes and multiple cameras, as Resolve will automatically match source to timeline and places it on top.

Edit Page

Looks familiar, but better
The Edit page is a clean, easy to navigate UI for compiling your project together. Drawing from the traditional video editor style, DaVinci Resolve’s Edit page is a familiar sight to anyone who works within the industry.

Coming from somewhere else?
When you first load up Resolve, it’ll ask you which software you’ve come from and adjust the shortcuts to meet them. This is perfect for people who are moving from Final Cut or Premiere Pro and if you just want to start fresh with Blackmagic’s keyboard layout, that’s totally an option too.

Multiple Timelines
From the media pool to your timeline, the Edit Page can now integrate multiple timelines into one screen, so you can copy and paste completed sections or brand new ones into your primary timeline. If you’ve come from the Cut Page, the Edit Page will translate that timeline into something a little more fleshed out too, so you can make additions in a more granular environment.

Multicam Editing
When working from a multicam shoot, you can view every angle from each sources in a 2, 4, 9 or 16 grids. Whether you’re working in Timecode, in or out points or audio, DaVinci Resolve will utilise metadata for angle and name information. Resolve will also let you grade it all in one go too!

Media Management and Source Clips
While looking at your source clips in the media pool, a small audio waveform will appear below, so you can head straight to the point you know someone might be talking, get too loud or silent to skip scrubbing for it. Resolve works with the traditional Bin file system found in popular NLEs, which can be manually created or utilise the metadata within the video file to compile bins via Smart Bins. If you’re after more plug-ins and effects, Resolve totally supports OpenFX plug-ins from third parties.

Fusion VFX

Now included in Resolve
Wanting to keep everything in one window means bringing in your flagship VFX software into its own section, which Blackmagic have now done with Fusion. While you can purchase Fusion on its own, it’s now feature parity within Resolve 16.

From epic 3D to basic 2D
Fusion is an incredibly powerful visual effects compositing software, with a true 3D workspace for everything from simple text effects to fully fledged realistic 3D models. It uses a node system, to bring a flowchart style to the workflow and eliminates nested menus that can begin to get confusing. Instead, you’ll be able to see your full composite via nodes and make changes quickly.

Green Screen made easy
For those needing chromakey tools, you’ll find Fusion’s advanced keying to your liking. There’s multiple variations to find the exact style you need to get that clean look.

Vector Paint and Titles
Take advantage of Fusion’s Vector Paint to remove various nuisances from the shoot or unwanted elements, getting the exact picture you want out of your project. Rotoscoping has ‘planar tracking’, so when you’ve decided on a shape, you can let the software do the heavy lifting as you adjust it to the location you need it to be on the screen. Professional titles allow you to create dynamic 3D or sublime 2D titles that are easily editable, then add in 3D particles to make the look complete.

Colour Page

Don't forget your roots
Resolve started out as a colouring software and Blackmagic have ensured that it stays prominent, with its own dedicated page and workflow within the software. Used by Hollywood and high end creators across the board, it’s simple and intuitive UI brings full control over the look of your project into your hands.

Advanced Resellers
If you’re a colourist utilising the software to its truest potential, you’ll want to look into Resolve’s Colour Panels, which Scan Pro Video are Advanced Resellers for, so we can provide you with everything all the way up to the Advanced Panels.

Faster Grade
Blackmagic have added quality of life improvements, making grading even easier than originally intended and allowing you to really power on through. (Copy and Paste attributes, Independent Channels and improved plugin support).

See into the Data
Scopes and histograms now provide more information, you can view everything on your main monitor and video output with an easy drop down menu and organising your grades has been improved too. DaVinci’s Neural Engine will also be utilised to add Auto Colour Balancing and Matching.

Curve Editor
The Colour Page features a Curve Editor for fine tuning and smooth results, while you can select and isolate areas of your image via the Qualifier menu. Track and stabilise shots to ensure that things look right through out your grade, plus work with HDR (High Dynamic Range) – including Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log Gamma and HDR10+.

Studio Exclusive
Exclusive to the Studio version is true Noise Reduction, which can change the tides of an edit if some footage has gone askew, allowing you to produce absolutely stunning results without having to reshoot or damaging the image.

Fairlight Audio

Audio Production shouldn't be an after thought
Getting a lot of love is Fairlight, Resolve’s own audio solution. Featuring everything you’d need out of audio software for video, from ADR recording or noise and hissing reduction.

Updates to the audio side of DaVinci Resolve include a new Immersive 3D Audio mode to take advantage of new formats like Dolby Atmos. You have access to 500 free sounds to use, which you can download directly in Resolve and use however you wish. Elastic Wave stretches the audio out so you can match clips up for ADR, retiming etc., but doesn’t change the pitch.

Bring in your studio
If you’re used to working within a hardware environment, bring in mixing consoles that have been certified to work with Fairlight for a true audio workflow. Configure it to suit your needs and then away you go.

Scan Pro Video Recommends

The best kit for every page
Scan Pro Video don't want you to just go into DaVinci Resolve Studio without considering the best kit available. From monitors to storage and even what you might be shooting on.

Eizo
Eizo's successor to the CG318, the CG319X, is an HDR video editing monitor, specifically designed with Eizo's signature accurate colour technology. This 4K monitor is ideal for those in grading, colour correcting or in photo editing, with its 4096x2160 resolution giving you the best quality available to properly produce for the consumer market you would be aiming for.

Audeze Mobius
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Pocket Cameras, URSA G2
Now a pair, the 6K and 4K Pocket Cinema Cameras are two tiny beasts that are ready to take on any shoot and work alongside DaVinci Resolve with Blackmagic RAW directly integrated or with whatever format you shoot. These tiny cameras boast massive resolutions and if will take all those Micro Four-Thirds (4K) and EF mount (6K) lenses you've invested in.

Combining everything from the original URSA Mini Pro like the ergonomics, size and flexible usability, the G2 brings new features to the 4.6K camera. Things like a USB C port for recording straight to flash drives or SSDs. A new sensor that incorporates better HDR support and the G2 now captures at 300fps, for immense slow motion.

LaCie Storage
Seagate’s LaCie brand is well established amongst creatives across the world. From small scale photoshoots to cinematic masterpieces, LaCie drives have seen it all at some point. You might recognise them as the little orange drives that append themselves to a desk, squirrelled away in someone’s kit bag and being passed about like a note at school.

LaCie’s products don’t stop at their Rugged drives, they also encompass desk based external storage such as their powerful and reliable Big series and showcase their strong industry partnerships with the likes of DJI, resulting in the CoPilot BOSS – built to meet the end users requirements for location and aerial shoots.

DeckLink
Blackmagic's range of DeckLink cards provide multiple functions, but mainly, an excellent source to begin monitoring in true 10-bit with a compatible monitor. This'll allow you to grade and work in a larger colour spectrum than usual, getting a look that just wouldn't be achievable otherwise. For those into video game content, the Quad HDMI is almost too perfect, allowing you to bring in 4 independent sources at once to capture and then bring into the Cut or Edit pages for perfect Let's Play and YouTube content.

RAM upgrades are probably one of the easiest upgrades to do to a modern PC. Pop the case of, stick in some new RAM, put the case back on and off you go. However, some people simply don’t like the idea of opening up a PC. For others, a RAM upgrade would require taking out old RAM, increasing the cost of the upgrade, while a few people might even have maxed out their system’s RAM limit.

Rated 5 out of
5 by
JasonB from
Davinci Resolve is the best color gading software on the marketWhat can I say about Davinci Resolve? Well it's the best colour grading software on the market. I started using the free version for around 14 months before I finally bought this product. Well I'm glad I did because now I can grade in 4K DCI, render out to the Sony XAVC codec and the noise reduction built in to Resolve is amazing. If your wanting to take your video footage to the next level then this is the program for you. Resolve is the Photoshop of the video world.

Date published: 2018-05-13

Rated 5 out of
5 by
ZakF from
Use it for everythingAmazing piece of software, it has replaced Avid and PP for me. Comes as a code which allows installation on two machines. Only one machine can be used at a time, and the code can be deactivated and reactivated on another machine.

Is this dongle or code?

I have the software from Blackmagic and they've been promising to replace the dongle with a registration code once it's out of beta. Which it now is. So if I buy from you now, which do I get?

Asked by: vidjoguy

I'll answer my own question - after asking Scan and looking at the Blackmagic Forums... For Scan's existing stock (as of Sept 8th), this a dongle and media for Resolve 12.5 from which 14 is a free downloadable upgrade. Blackmagic are shipping out license key packages now so future purchases will be for licence key. It seems BM have no current plans to sell licence keys direct so you ill still have to go through Scan or one of the other dealers. Also, in spite of what BM said earlier, you will NOT be able to swap a dongle for a licence key. Please correct me if I'm wrong, Scan.

Answered by: vidjoguy

Date published: 2017-09-10

Will this dongle work with the upcoming Resolve Studio 16?

Asked by: Arnoboy

Good Afternoon,
Yes, this dongle should work with version 16 and it will definitely work with Resolve Studio 15. Once version 16 is released you should receive an automatic prompt so you will be able to use it with 16. Unfortunately, 16 has not been released yet. However, there is currently a free trial.
If in future you have any future receiving a link or prompt to go to version 16 please do not hesitate to contact us on either 01204 474747 or via our Live Chat service.
Kind Regards,